text:
Padilla returns
Ned has spoken all winter about wanting to add another veteran starting pitcher and today, he got Vicente Padilla, who was even better than we expected when he came our way last season. He went 4-0 for us in the regular season, had our two best starts in the playoffs, and by all accounts of his teammates and coaches, exhibited none of the issues that seemingly plagued him in Texas.
As we noted in the news release, he's won 14 or more games in four of the last eight seasons and the only other pitcher on the free agent market who can say that was Andy Pettitte.
I hope you all are as excited about this new addition as we are and I still don't think we're done. I know that Ned has talked a lot about shoring up the bench with another veteran player or two and I have full faith and confidence that he will.
177 Comments
I hope that this year's Spring Training, I get to meet Bob Feller. My friend Deb who is an Indian fan, took her dad there last year. Her dad shared stories when he used to watch him pitch. I met Deb in Vero Beach a few years back and everytime she and her husband come to L.A. she lets me know or when she goes to Spring Training. We ended up as partners during the last Women Baseball clinic at Vero. I love all the friends I have made because of Baseball.
Sometimes the best time at Spring Training is where there is no game and you could just chat with the guys and watch them practice. I have a friend that works for the General hospital in L.A. who said he ran into Sandy Koufax and he just chatted with him for a while. This is was back in 2004.
If you can and you can afford it, I highly recomend Spring Training. Lore and I will catch the Dodgers at the Indian facility and at the Giant facility beside the games at Camelback. It is a little easier on us since is a 5 hour drive.
Bienvenido Pinolero! Welcome back Vicente!
Honestly, Josh, if this is the news that was supposed to excite Dodgers fans, then you have been working for the McCourts for way to long.
Cy ~ and, Ned isn't done yet! LMDO!!!!
"I know that Ned has talked a lot about shoring up the bench with another veteran player or two and I have full faith and confidence that he will."
Filling holes on the bench (Kahli and Bear say filling holes should be accepatable in our PG blog) makes me thing of some 40-year old out there (Edmonds) who is not quite reaady to hang it up.
You guys are too funny!!! (from the previous thread as well).
bear, very funny from last thread…I'll be sure to keep Jamie out of any sentences mentioning the word "hole." Tiger, too, but that's going to be tougher!!!!!!!! As for Padilla, he passed his physical, meaning Frank and Jamie didn't find any festering holes in his leg. Ooooops, I said that word and that lady in the same sentence, huh?
Hey Jhall!!!! ………………..Kahli – LMDO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi'Ya Nelly!!! Gee mom, I didn't know we were cussing too much. Who called us out?
See what happens when Dad/Eric/Chevelle is not around!! Jeepers!!!
It was the thread master himself a few threads ago. I guess you didn't get the memo. It kind of vacuums, doesn't it? LMDO!!!!!! However, you know this board. It only makes them more creative.
Hey Wally!!
Jeepers, we were being a little too "frank" in our language so now we're all trying to be on our best behavior.
vacuum – good one Nells!!!
LOL Nelly!! Good point!! Definately a creative bunch here. That's why it's so fun!!! Tell Dad hey and we need his guidance in these trying times!!! LOL!!!
Well, I got that from a 5th grade teacher after I told her of yours…………….."inhales deeply" They thought your's was good too :))
Hi'Ya Beav!! LOL!! I like the "Frank" connatation. How've you been my brother/friend? Golly, I thought we were actually pulling our punches. These guys really have glass jaws!!!
I will definitely do that jhall, and yes, his guidance would be good during these trying times 🙂
I'm sorry Wally, that's, primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent now.
There are a million ways to share your opinion without getting vulgar and I ask that you please do so.
So what PVsuccesschallenged bench players do you think we'll get?
No it's Polderthan35successchallenged bench player 🙂
………or how about reallyreallynotgoodolderthan35successchallenged bench player?
Oh, you mean Edmonds. 🙂
It's freaking washed up piece of doodoo PVL!!!
washed up is good too – LMDO!!!!!
This IS a family site darn it. Helter Skelter!!!!
You are all awesome! This stuff is hilarious!
Just an aside, was Josh around for Joey a couple of years ago?
Honestly, I wouldn't be opposed to picking Garland back up (at a good price.) He'd at least eat more innings than your typical #5, and would be invaluable if/when Kuroda goes down.
Washed up may be a little harsh. How about past the age of optimal performance?
…………or jhall you could say verystrongwallthatholdswater it!!!!!
I'm totally with you Beav, on both points…
:))) Nelly!!! Beaver home it!!!!
Yes, he was jhall!! Who can forget joeyp – he was awful!!
Good one jhall!!!! LMDO!!!!!!
Yeah, Joey was Un-doingthehorizontalmambo-Believeable!!!!
LOL Nelly. Yep, JoeyP was psychotic!! He's probably dead or in prison now.
Laughing my bumping uglies gluteous off!!! LMBUGO!!! Lot to be said for a laughing bug!!!!!
That's the spirit Wally!!! LMDO!!!
I'm going to have to go back and write all this new terminology down! Love LMBUGO!!!!!!
I feel sorry for Shad when he comes back 🙂
Now THAT is good jhall!!!!! LMBUGO!!!!
:))) I can't wait for Bear's break out comments after doing this for a few days!!!!
So what does Johnny say now? Makin' bacon you y'all?
LMDO!!!!! I think Ward Dear really needs to come home now and set you two straight, but then again……………
nah!!!!! ………..he will follow right in line 🙂
I think it's perfectly acceptible as long as it's Farmer John's.
Johnny says: "Get in the truck female dog!!!"
Oh yes…………….got to be Farmer John's :))
Oh Satan's lair Wally, we've all said that at one time or another!!
………..like "we" have all said "Size doesn't matter"!!!!!!
An old pickup truck and a 12 pack of Stroh's or Blue Ribbon. Country boys can survive!!!!
LOL Nelly!!! Yep, you need a big truck!!!
And here all this time Nells I thought it was quality and not quantity… kinda what I've been preaching with Ned.
Where does that leave a 4 X 4???
Definitely quality over quantity enchanted!!! However, by all these infomercials these days, you would think not.
I always thought size did matter!
Just remember, no matter what size the truck, it don't work if you can't get it in gear!!
So true, Enchanted!
I was submission errored for a while. I am thinking everyone else did too.
To me, "Submission Error" are the most obscene words on this blog!
Beaar ~ Excellent! I love you being cerebral. However, I sure do miss the Marine:)
This time warp issue is becoming a "jug of pooh"!!!!!!
Keeping in line with the PG (Poop Guard) rating of this site, let's turn to a consideration of economics for our Dodgers franchise. That's a timely topic in our politics and with our retail industry that has just come through the holiday season without too much damage.
Everybody is trying to reduce costs in order to keep their heads above these recession waters. People in California must be very aware of what I'm talking about, and the retail industry of necessity has done everything they can to reduce costs and offer deep discounts for their product to the consumer.
What exactly has the Dodger ownership and management done over the last couple of years?
If you look back, they have constantly reduced payroll, which I assume is their largest expense factor. You can argue whether paying $5 million for Padilla is equally cost effective to paying double or triple that for Lee or Halladay, and that's to totally overlook the big bucks that Frank and Ned wasted on the likes of Schmidt, Loaiza, Andruw, and possibly even Manny. WHERE'S THE CONSUMER DISCOUNT FOR THE FANS? Management has simply raised the price of everything from parking fees to ticket prices to concessions. The public relations staff proudly suggests what a great deal they provide for the Dodger fans. When the ownership costs get constantly trimmed, and the cost to the fans never decreases, there's something wrong with Frank's enterprise and in the front office. In national politics there is now even talk of not renewing Bernanke's contract, because he's not done much to alleviate our country's circumstances while bailing out everybody that may not have deserved it. On the other hand, we've extended Ned's contract, and I haven't heard about Frank taking less out of the Dodger business. Is there any wonder that many of us call on him to SELL THE TEAM?
Sorry about getting so cerebral, and I must say that my emotions are stretching this bungee cord of maintaining this blog civility to the point where one of these days it will plain break loose and flood this site with my usual choice ex-Marine expletives. That point might come with the next PVL that Ned digs up from the deep dumpster and the rest of the front office sells to us as just the kind of veteran that we've been looking for to complement our team's needs.
Round of applause for Messagebear!!! Fabulous post!! ……….and Messagebear, by you saying ex-marine reminds me of my father-in-law, and he loved to use his expletives too. I am guessing you may just get to use them once again real soon.
Good afternoon ITD boys and girls!
I for one am glad that Padilla is back. I would?ve preferred Piniero, but the Angels beat us to him. I am glad that this is Manny?s last year. I am glad that JP is gone. I?m glad for a lot of things. But I?ve been reading ITD lately and honestly, I don?t like the ?tone? of various posts here. Maybe that?s the reason why I haven?t posted much. I know we all love our Dodgers, and yes, we all have different personalities and a written word from the varying personalities comes out differently. Josh already addressed that a few threads ago; I?m not going to beat that dead horse in the ground. But when Josh asked ITDers not to be vulgar, I knew the personality of ITDers that something creative would come of it; and it did! From Jhall?s ?bumping uglies gluteous? to Nelly?s ?reallyreallynotgoodolderthan35successchallenged bench player? ITD has made for very interesting reading!
And this may sound a little na�ve, but can?t we learn to enjoy the Dodgers, no matter who they put on the field? Will Clayton become the youthful ace we all want him to be and know that he can be? Or will he fall flat on his face? Will Rihanna be such a distraction to Matty that Matty ends up hitting .232 at the end of the year? Who will be the 2010 version of Ronald Belisario? Will there be one? These players that many if not all ITDers have coveted and gone elsewhere (Lee, Halladay, etc); will they play the way they have in the past, or will they blow out their elbows (and I'm not wishing that on any player) or get injured to where they can't contribute? Who can tell today (1/22/10) and say with any kind of certainty where the Dodgers will end up when the 2010 World Series finishes? WS Champions? NL Champions? Languishing in last place in the NL West and got nowhere close to making the playoffs? Perhaps, just perhaps the moves and players that we have coveted at one time or another may or may not make any difference.
I mean, honestly, does anyone here REALLY BELIEVE that what they post on ITD will make an iota of difference with this team? Maybe bits and pieces find their way to the powers that be, but I?ve stopped getting all upset about this move or that move or this non move or that non move. I?ve stopped getting upset over things that I have NO control over. To me, it?s a waste of my energy. Do I have my opinions; of course I do. I have just chosen not to express them in such ?flamboyant? fashion. It?s just not worth the energy; ESPECIALLY when I have no control over it. Does that make me boring? Perhaps it does on ITD, but I just choose to save my passion for when the Dodgers take the field.
But one thing that I am very passionate about and will post on ITD ?till the cows come home is ? STOP BEATING ON JOSH ? PLEASE. I mean, put yourself in his shoes. He?s EMPLOYED by the Dodgers, and running this ITD blog is part of his job. I think Josh does value his job, so yes he?s going to put the company spin on whatever he says. And I for one would not expect anything different. And I don?t mean that in a negative way at all. He wants to keep his job. In case some of you haven?t noticed, jobs are kinda scarce these days. If Josh?s own personal opinion about the Dodgers? organization conflicts with what his ?company? has asked of him in performing his job, then he can do what he wants to do about his job. But don?t trash-talk Josh; he doesn?t deserve the treatment.
It sure is nice seeing the real Los Angeles team on my baseball wall (as opposed to the Angels), not that the Dodgers aren't well represented all year round, mind you, but it's good to see Dodger blue instead of Angels Red.
Wonderful post CP!! How is your business going?
Well hi Cpompe1
I too am glad to see Padilla back with the Dodgers. The Dodgers certainly got their moneys worth from him.
Hope everything is well with you and your family.
I was pleased that the organization avoided arbitration with all our young players, signing Matt, Broxton and Andre for two years. That did take a few million dollars.
The tone of ITD bothers me as well. I love my Dodgers no matter what. I spent quite a bit of last year at Dodger Stadium and fell totally in love with the personnel, the players, my friends there. I think I take the criticism personally. It does make a difference when you actually can see the players personally and see that they do play their hearts out. They laugh and cry just as we do. I hope they don't read ITD. I was embarrassed by the negative talk re: Pierre. I certainly hope he didn't read ITD. He stepped into Manny's place and played well.
The Dodgers did not get to the playoffs with mediocre playing.
Josh, thank you for everything you do. Thank you for bringing Joe Pierre to California and for the best ever tour. I will always support you and the Dodgers.
Nice post. The dodgers needed padilla to keep up with the Giants and Rockies. Not saying that they will do worse, but the Giants are going to put up a fight.
R.I.P. Bobby Bragan.
Former Brooklyn Dodger Bobby Bragan died yesterday at the age of 92.
Robert Randall Bragan was born in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 30, 1917. He played parts of seven seasons from 1940-48 for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers, playing mostly shortstop and catcher and batting .240 for his career. He missed the 1945 and ?46 seasons to serve in the U.S. military.
In 1947, he made his only plate appearance in a World Series game, delivering a pinch-hit double for the Dodgers.
I've been working on and off on a list of the surviving Brooklyn Dodger players. i don't have the post ready but I got to update my worksheet cause we are down to 63.
Hope everyone is doing well! I am fighting an earache.
Wonderful post CP! Good to read you again! I hope business is well or at least is picking ground.
How many days till pitchers and catchers report Dnelly? I know is under 30.
All other Dodger forums are talking about the same issues…………….Frank's ownership of the team, ticket prices (both ST and Dodger Stadium) and pitching. It's a daily topic on mlbtv as well. We are not saying anything that any other blog, homepage comment section and even facebook page is saying. We just have a more creative way of saying it I guess. I am guessing Frank is choosing to listen to the fans that don't care that he will eventually run this franchise into the ground because he obviously isn't reading anything because there hasn't been much positive from any forum relating to the Dodgers lately other than the players themselves and their recent signings, but even those remarks have an undercurrent of ownership issues. With that being said, I am estactic that our young core is still intact for another season, and I look forward to seeing what this team brings to the diamond this season.
Vig – only if they don't pisss off Tim with this arbitration mess – LOL!!! I can say that………I live with gnat fans.
I'm glad to welcome Padilla back this season after the great job he did last season.
26 Days until pitchers and catchers report…………….
Daytona in 22 🙂
Sorry Nells, that's tinkle or water the mule.
Enchanted ~ Tinkle is me!
enchanted – you are most certainly correct. Please forgive me 🙂
I have aa feeling Bear is tinkled too 🙂
* a…..sorry for the stuttering.
Leadership starts at the top and Frank and Jamie are at the top of this organization. I think they themselves have some work to do on conducting themselves with dignity and class. I will run around singing – Zippity Doo Da all day as soon as they do the same.
As far as leadership on this site, we have one of the best in Josh, he has requested we find better and more dignified ways to express our concerns…..Point Taken!!!
My opinion is that this blog is cherished for it's originality and personalities, as well as it's bond with the Dodgers through Josh and his comrades. Combine that with our ability to constantly communicate through laughter, wisdom and cheer and we are like no other.
That is good representation of the Dodger Way if you ask me…..In the future, I personally will work on my comments and the way I present them. I hope Frank and Jamie can extend that couertesy to the organization as well.
Thanks Josh, Scott and Mark and all the readers and writers, comedians, disiplinarians and happy go lucky Dodger faithul as well……
Hope ya don't mind Eric this just seemed like a good time to rehash the song….
I Love This Blog
Slow day leads to things like this:
Ripping off Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar"
We got winners, we got losers
We've had steroid abusers
We've got hitting, need some pitching
Where can I do some bitching?
'Cause our owners and GM are in a fog
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
We got jhall, and messagebear
Seeskybout2rain and joepierre
And we got dnelly, diggie and trublu
MLK and peru
Northstateblues will tell you 'bout his favorite grogg
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
I love this blog
It's my kind of place
Just talkin' 'bout the Dodgers
Puts a big smile on my face
Clear skies or smog, LA or Prague
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
I've read Boblee, Msrussyethier
Scott_in_arcadia and jungar
And we got alex, emma and amy
Bluecrewgirl, Max_power and Kahliforni
Enchanted finds new ways to rhyme Andruw with a hog
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
Yes I do
I like leekfink (I like leekfink)
Crash and dc (Crash and dc)
I like to hear from ol' sara
I miss bigkace and rodmky
But I love this blog
It's my kind of place
Just talkin' 'bout the Dodgers
Puts a big smile on my face
Clear skies or smog, LA or Prague
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
We got Scurtis and Lbirken
Thought bubbles from Obi_wen
Kpookiemon and knouffbrock
Heartruss and Cpompe and Redfox
If you get too down D4 will drain the bog
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
Play it on out boys
Beer-thirty's over
Got to take it on home
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this blog
I just love it
By dodgereric on March 20, 2009 2:10 PM
Didn't mean to interupt the fun…I started this post some time ago……
Great Job Dodger4life!!!!! Boy, we haven't seen some of those names in a lonnnng time!!!
Thanks for the repost, Dodger4life….and thank-you, Dodgereric for the original!!!!
I want to say that I really do appreciate the job that Josh does on this blog as well. However, just like everyone else in the world, he needs to be held accountable for any statements that he makes.
When he says that we are all going "to be excited" about the players being added in the coming weeks, I can't help but question his idea of excitement when Padilla was out big catch. Not that I'm against the idea of Padilla on a 1-year deal for a good price, but excited, I think not.
Also, when he states to the LA Times that "after much fan feedback", the Dodgers have decided to remove the $90 seats from McRanch, I also need to ask, "Really?" The front office really needed to tick off the fan base for a whole season and hear them rant and rave to figure out that $90 for games that DON'T MEAN SQUAT was a bad idea? I know he is just doing his job, but that statement implies that the front office had no idea at all that they were trying to fleece fans for tickets to McRanch because of the great "new experience". If that is the case, the front office is more clueless than I thought.
Lastly, I do enjoy reading all of his posts, but I will not drink the Kool-Aid just because he is "only doing his job". If it is a good post, I will say so. If he needs to be called on the carpet, I will do so as well.
On a more technical note, how do I get spaces between my paragraphs? I'm tired of my posts looking like long paragraphs from my elementary school days. Thanks in advance for the tip:)
When I turn to the ITD blog, which is many times during the day, I see the reference at the top that it is an MLB blog featuring the LA Dodgers. I believe that MLB has a blog for each major league team. The Dodger front office and specifically Josh seem to be in charge of the postings, and that is much appreciated by everyone, I'm sure, including myself. BUT, there's nothing there that says that it is the Dodger owners, or Dodger Front Office, or Dodger management blog, so I will maintain that it is the DODGER FANS BLOG! That's the purpose for which MLB establishes these blogs, as I see it. In the vernacular of recent political developments it's akin to saying "People's Seat" SO let this be the FANS BLOG. Now, given that the postings are made by Josh and occasionally some other people in the front office, I don't expect them to do anything but put the best face on Dodger ownership, management, and whatever they think they're accomplishing for OUR team. BUT, while we can all accept that, the FANS BLOG doesn't require that we agree with them, that we don't ridicule them, or even at times cuss them out.
There are indeed a lot of other blogs about the Dodgers out there, so everybody can get his feel for whatever "tone" suits them best. I've enjoyed this blog for a number of years now and appreciate the different personalities that come through the postings on ITD. Many of the other blogs to me are just bland. I'm the kind of guy who will occasionally (maybe even often) get riled up enough to yell at the TV. I don't like just bland reporting or bland opinions. When I watch TV, I prefer the extremes of a Bill O'Reilly and Rachel Maddow (no political preference intended here), rather than just the bland news reporting. I realize that some of us doing the posting represent a small minority of Dodger fans – that most people may just like to read and take in what others say. That's fine. I think you may be occasionally offended by what you call the tone of our postings, but I've very rarely seen any DODGER FAN being offended by personal attacks here in the postings of the most radical of us. I hope that everyone enjoys this forum, but let's remember that the forum is for the DODGER FANS, by the DODGER FANS, and the DODGER FANS will decide what tone will be adopted here. If the Dodger ownership and management don't like it, let them develop their own Dodger publicity tool, but not one that is under the auspices of MLB at the top of the blog page.
Cy and Messagebear ~ thank-you. I've been trying all day to say exactly how I feel and you two have said it perfectly.
Cy ~ I put a . and then go down a line to get a new paragraph. I don't know if there is another way but, this works for me.
Well said messagebear
Thanks trublu
Thank you, cy, and I have enjoyed your posts. Don't know whether you're relatively new or operating with a different name from a previous one. Either way WELCOME.
Thanks for the repost of the song D4 and Eric thanks for your originality! I see Amy next to my name! She is a happily married woman now. Her hubby's birthday is tomorrow. My dad would have been 79 tomorrow.
Cy – three spaces between lines works too.
………just like this 🙂
I learned this on ITD as well (one of my Cleaver Family members I am sure).
Love ya Messagebear!!!
Thanks for the typing lesson, Nellyjune. You see ITD is very educational, indeed!
Cy – in my attempt to give you an ITD typing lesson, I forgot to mention you had a fabulous post earlier too. I think Josh knows his job and part of his job is dealing with fan's concerns, and you bring up some very good ones.
Cy – two ways I know of… put a period between new paragraphs like Tru mentioned above:
OR triple space.
And I believe "Squat" is now "Unrecompensed (often illegal) dwelling on land not owned."
Out-Copulating-Standing Bear and Cy!!!
If however, you miss a period Cy, it can lead to a pregnant pause.
LOL!!! That's my Beav/Brother!!! HaHa!!!!
Hey Wally!!! You gonna be around awhile tonight my brother? Dinner calls and I've got to answer.
You both have to come back tonight! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yep Beav, enjoy your dinner, I'll catch you later tonight!!!
Hi'Ya Trumom!!!! As always, a pleasure to share the blog with you!!!
Thanks for the technical help everyone.
Messagebear – not really new to the forum, but just not that frequent of a poster.
Hmm, triple spacing seems to not work for me…probably me.
Let's try the period thing instead.
LOL!!! Whichever way works CY!!
Hey Jhall!!!!
Thank you for the comments, nelly (Love ya too, my favorite school teacher) and jhall, my favorite Ohioan (is that how they call you Ohio guys). I should remember, having lived in Ohio for a number of years, although more in the Akron – Cleveland area. Can't wait for ST to begin and see what pleasant surprises it may bring.
Hi'Ya Nelly!!! LOL Bear!! Mostly, they call us Buckeyes!!!! Not just because of Ohio State, but because it is a tree that is native to here and has become the adopted/accepted moniker for the state. LOL!!!!
Buckeyes, of course! In no way comparable to the excremental weasel, indigenous to the Boston area trying to invade and lay waste to Southern California by infesting great baseball diamonds and traditions by introducing PVL's.
You are most welcome Messagebear!! It's always a pleasure reading what you have to say…………….expletives and all.
Jhall – In doing all this baseball geography, I do a lot about the state itself so I did learn that your state tree is the Buckeye Tree. I just assumed until then it was based on OSU.
Holy Cow!!! LOL Bear!!! No, Ohioians, as a whole, would not play that car parking con game!!!!
Hey Nelly. It goes back before Ohio State was founded. Ohio State teams took the moniker and definately perpetuated it.
I know this is not Dodger related, but it's baseball related and kind of fun because it involves my hubby's business, but the other day, we had Brian Fuentes (Angels), Doug Fister (Pitcher for Seattle), Dusty Ryan (Catcher for the Padres), a few minor leaguers (two Rox and one Card), and a whole bunch of college kids all at VSA training. There are all local boys who made it big. I was at school unfortunately and couldn't get down there on time, but it's kind of weird seeing these guys walking through the doors of our place and knowing they are making hundreds of thousands up to millions of dollars to play baseball. Brian was actually there again today training and talking about when he has to report for ST. Even though they aren't Dodgers (yet), it's kind of fun knowing they are around.
Good evening to one and all!! With all the reports that I've been hearing about the weather in California this week, I hope and pray that all of our ITD family is safe and secure… From the tone of the posts,it's good to see that our patchwork quilt is doing its usual excellent job cooking up it's own unique batch of Dodger Brew. One that's never bland and always satisfying. I'm sure that we're all well aware of who signs Josh's paycheck and that any criticism directed at his bosses, in particular that economicallychallengedethicallysuspectcorrupterofahallowedfranchise should not, in anyway be taken personally.
red pen – "They are…" not "There are"
That is too cool Nelly!! Congrats to you and your family on your baseball school!!! Good job!!!!!!
jhall – I can't take too much credit really other than just being a huge baseball fan and being one of the wives. However, I must say, I remember talking to you about it when it was just an idea. You know their travel teams are called the Eagles, and the colors are red, white and blue, and that came from your ideas a long time ago when we were thinking of logos, slogans and quotations to be put on the walls and such. It was back when we were trying to get the air force base that closed down here.
I remember Nelly!! I thought it was an awesome idea then and I'm happy it has done well.
Well scat howdy!!! How is everyone tonight?
How was dinner enchanted? I must say I am glad you still have power…………….electricity that is – LOL!!!!
Dinner was great. Power is on. I did have to shovel snow today though.
I am sure you and jhall have a lot in common with the task of shoveling snow these days.
I'm getting too old for that kinda cra…..zy stuff though Nells. Now my back is stiffer than a board.
Well, that's interesting. My post was entered, time wise, before I wrote it. A new twist on ITDFST.
So have there been any rumored names as far as the "veteran" bench players Ned's looking at? You don't really think Edmonds is one of them do you?
Then why did you move up into the Sierra Nevada?…………and enchanted, you are not that old.
Hey Seesky!!! This time clock thing is a real mystery at times. You would think it would be easy to fix a clock, but it certainly makes posting here interesting, not that we need misinformed clocks to be interesting.
Its home Nells 🙂
And I'm closing in on 50!!
Enchanted ~ I really don't think Edmonds is on our radar…hasn't played in a year and is pushing 40….gee, that's what we might be looking for afterall.
I did hear rumors that Werth may be the odd-man-out in Philly…won't be able to afford him. besides, they just signed Victorino to an extention.
Yeah, nells. I much prefer the subject matter be interesting than the process itself…….. so, with the weather being what it is out there, I hope no one's the worse for wear
Is Byrnes still available? He's a veteran and still productive…..Oh, I'm sorry. He's not what we want.
Byrnes is still available…he'd be kind of fun to have on the team, don't you think?
Enchanted ~ We shouldn't have to do that, should we? You'd think by now they would have tried to fix this problem. It's okay now but, I will be a little bit miffed if this always happens during a game.
submission error satan's lair!!!
enchanted – I am very glad you are home. ………..and you know in baseball standards closing in on 50 maybe old, but you are far from being old.
I doubt Byrnes would play cheap enough.
So what's the announcement that is going to please all of us?
Or has it already happened and we were really underwhelmed?
Try unplugging your modem when you're having problems then plug it back in and let it reconnect with the internet. Usually works, but once in awhile it puts you back on real time.
Thanks for the tip enchanted!!!!
Hey D4!! I used to lose posts on occasion too. Now if its any lengthy post I do a frequent cut in case I have to paste it back later. Sometimes I'll even do it on a short post because they have a tendency not to "take" when I hit submit. Other times I'll hit submit, nothing happens, I'll refresh the page a couple times, still get no post showing up, paste and resubmit, and end up with two duplicate posts.
BTW, I've already lost this post twice.
Obviously no one at MLB cares enough to work on things to get a real solution or program that works.
And when I just hit submit, absolutely nothing happened. And I had to unplug my modem.
Really weird – you guys get submission errors, I just get arbitrarily kicked to "internet explorer cannot display the web page." Then when I click the back arrow, it goes back to the page that displays all the recent threads so that I have to click on the comments to get back.
I also have to sign in about 5-10 times a day. Sometimes fully, sometimes I just have to ckick on "sign in" and I'm back to "now you can make a comment.'
Here's a comment I'd like to make:
If they'd just go back to the program they had 2 years ago, it'd be perfect. (and as I just typed that, I just got kicked to the "cannot open page" screen again.
Good evening ITD boys and girls!
Don't worry, I only have "those" kind of posts once in a LONG while! So who do we have around ITD right now?
Nelly – Are you still here? Hope so! Sorry it took me this long to answer your question from above, but my business is going very slow right now. Actually, if it was going much slower, I'd, well, I don't want to think about that right now. I'm working on networking. For me, that seems to be the big thing right now for me to generate business. I've still got "irons on the fire" but these are the same irons that were there a month ago, and they still aren't paying customers yet. Next week I'll be working on other networking ideas. Just keep praying for me!
And then after all that I get time warped.
How come no other blogs but the ones run by MLB have this problem? Don't tell me they don't have enough money to either replace the program or fix the problem.
Enchanted…it happens to me as well…..sometimes my post dissapear also!!
Hi, CP ~ sorry your business is slow right now. I hope it will pick up real soon.
Hey CP!! I am still here, just trying to overcome submission error issues. I took enchanted's idea to see if it worked. It seemed to, so we shall see. Keep plugging away. It takes time, but it will be worth it in the end. Networking and knowing who to ask is a big thing. Just in the business we opened with the baseball academy, it's just a matter of finding different ways to get the word out.
enchanted – I have had to sign on a bunch of times today too, both at home and at work. So, there is something screwy happening with that as well.
Are we allowed to say screwed?!
Hey Trumom! I know I've said this before, but honestly, I REALLY do miss ITD when I'm away for any great length of time. Yes, my earlier post may have made it seem like I don't like ITD different personalities, but I REALLY DO like them! It's just me; I've got to sort things out. And thx for the hope on my business; I am sure things will pick up soon. I'm just impatient!
My Nellygirl! Sorry about the submission error issues. Those are so annoying. As for the business, I was thinking that doing the same thing over and over and not getting any results isn't helping me; at least not at this point. Like I told Trumom, I just have to be patient and find different ways to get the word out.
It's hard being patient these days when the economy is so screwed up.
That's "threaded fastenered" Tru.
Hey CP! Hang in there. Takes a good year to start building clientele.
As far as the Dodgers CP, what do you think of Andre's contract? I am thinking he did pretty good for a player who management seemed to have their doubts about a year ago.
You're right Nelly! It feels like I've been nothing but patient! So speaking of businesses, it seems like the academy is doing well. Oh, and btw, I'm really jealous that those different major league-rs are walking in and out of your front door like that! How cool is that!
Oh excuse me enchanted………..so what I should have said was ………………..the way our economy is so threaded fastenered up.
CP have you tried accessing public records for listings of new buisnisses in your area? I would think a % of those people would need services such as yours?
Enchanted! How ya doing buddy? Don?t tell me it?ll take me a good year to start building my clientele. Oh, well, like I said, I need to be patient and just keep getting my name out there!
Nelly ? I?m thrilled that they locked up Andre & Matty for a couple of years. Again, my fear will be with Andre. After this 2-year contract, he will be up for free agency. Assuming he keeps his performance like 2009, the Dodgers would be crazy not to give him a contract extension before he?s a free agent. But of course, it?s not only up to the Dodgers; Andre has to agree to it too. And right now, no one can be sure what this team will look like in 2 years. As for Matty, we have him under financial control for another year after his 2-year contract. But again, he?ll be looking at a similar scenario as Andre. I?m just thrilled that we will be seeing #16 and #27 roaming the outfield for the next 2 years!!!
Hey D4! Actually, I thought of that; that?s one of the different things that I will be working on next week! So how are you?
I'm good CP…..It is good to see you, as well as the rest of ITD 🙂
I am not too fond of the hall moniter….I have been given way too much detention
CP – it does feel good to have them locked up for two years, and yes, I agree, what will it take to keep them if they perform like expected? Nobody will know until the time comes I guess. As for the academy, it is pretty cool, but my hubby is benefiting from seeing all of them. I am teaching at the time. I have seen a few on weekends. There were a few Rockies minor league pitchers in doing clinics for kids. They are all excited about reporting to spring training just like us the fans.
Boy, the submission errors are horrible tonight!!!
Believe it or not, but D4, I hear ya. I mean, we all come onto ITD to talk Dodger baseball and have fun doing so. This is the last place one would think they'd get "reprimanded." But I also understand Josh's take on this too. I mean, none of us know how many youngsters read this blog (not necessarily post anything) but read it. I just would hate to know that something I would post that wasn't really intended for young eyes adversely affect said youngster in a negative way. I don't know; I just like to keep the peace. 🙂
Well, I've gotta go. I'm getting tired. I catch up with y'all later…
Okay, I know I said I was going, but Nelly, it does feel good to have them locked up for two years. Only time will tell what kind of MLB players they will be in two years. You'd think that I live close to Hollywood and have lived in So Cal all my life, that I would've seen a star or two in my lifetime. If I did, I must have been really young and don't remember. I just wish I could "name drop" like you can!
And again, I'm sorry the submission errors are rearing their ugly head so much!
Okay, now I'll go…
Good Night CP…Hang in there….thats all you can do….You'll get there we all will….:-)
L.A. Times story this morning reports that the signings of Vicente Padilla and Jamey Carroll accomplished the Dodgers' major off-season goals. Wow Frank, way to shoot for the moon, baby!
Threaded fastener is what I see in our future acquisitions.
I'm an ex-marine myself, and it's true, doing a hitch in the Corps can leave you with some colorful expressions. I need to use them, at times, with good effect on the people I work with, and I've done it on here as well. Like when Broxton failed to pitch to Stairs in game 4. But, perhaps, we get a little carried away with it at times, and it probably is a good idea to tone it down a bit. There probably are a lot of people/kids? looking at this too, that never post.
LOL Kahli!!! 'Tis sad isn't it?? Makes you wonder what "looking bench strength" means.
But then, we already know what that means don't we??!!
That article….Breathes like a whale!!!
I had a great post to reply to Kahli's post, but I lost it once again to a submission error. Anyhow, I see the signing of Carroll and Padilla being a good thing for the team as a whole with some big "if's", but it's far from accomplishing our goals in the off-season. Signing our core young players without the headaches of an arbitration nightmare is a goal accomplished. That is definitely a good thing. Now, "if" Billz, Kersh and Kuroda come back and are ready to bring it, then Padilla's signing will be a goal that was accomplished, but I guess that will have to wait until we see what we have in the other three. The Carroll signing will be a good one "if" DeWitt can't prove he belongs at second base, or "if" something happens to Furcal. I think he will be a good utility back up. So, they aren't bad signings at all, but goals accomplished?………………………. that remains to be seen.


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Gymnastics Australia (GA) established an Athletes' Commission with the view to providing a process to promote open communication with and feedback from, athletes. Gymnastics Australia believes, like most other sports, that athletes, present and past, can make a very valuable contribution to the sport.
The Athletes' Commission is:
A non-political group which can offer advice and assistance to GA on matters and issues of relevance to athletes
A promotional tool available for the purposes of promoting the sport to sponsors, the media and the general public
A resource for GA to enable athletes to be drawn on to provide advice and feedback on matters relevant to athletes
A group that can facilitate and promote high standards of sportsmanship and ethical performance when competing/participating at the national or international level
A group that can relate immediately to athletes competing at the highest level and establish relationships to promote feedback to GA on matters concerning elite athletes.This group will have a national focus and deal with national and international matters.
The roles and responsibilities of the Athletes' Commission are:
Establish open lines of communication with athletes to identify issues relevant to the various gymsports that need to be addressed by the Commission
Examine the GA Business Plan and give feedback to the Board on areas of improvement and/or concerns that require input from athletes
Assist in the formulation of policy for athlete support programs
To provide support for athletes to achieve their personal best
Assist athletes in their retirement from competition/participation in the sport and ensure that they receive the appropriate recognition and assistance through this stage
Ensure the Roll of Honour is maintained
Provide regular reports and recommendations to the GA Board on issues of relevance to athletes
Assist in promoting and delivering the Ambassador Program
Undertake special projects that may be relevant to the Commission and their Terms of Reference.
Note: This is not a conclusive list and roles and responsibilities may be changed from time to time as determined by the Board.
The operating guidelines of the Athletes' Commission are:
The term of office for Commission members will be four (4) years
One formal meeting per year, other meetings to be called on a needs basis
Meetings on an informal basis when the opportunity arises.
The Commission will have access to the following communication tools:
The GA website will include a special page on the Athletes' Commission with an ability for athletes to email the Commission with any of their concerns and/or view points
Commission members to receive the GA Board minutes, technical bulletins and events/team reports.
The current Athletes' Commission members are:
Sam Offord
Cairo Leicester
Madison Chan
Danielle Prince
Blake Gaudry
Georgia Bonora
To contact a member of the Athletes' Commission via email please contact email@example.com with ATT: (Member's name) in the subject line.
Send any written correspondence to:
Gymnastics Australia
Athletes' Commission
Sports House
Level 2, 375 Albert Road
Albert Park 3206

subset: commoncrawl


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Today is an action day to end the use of the word "retarded" (and variations thereof) in all contexts. There seems to be two camps on this subject. Those that don't see the harm, and those that do. I fall into the latter camp.
And today, on this action day, I want to lay out the reasons WHY.
First, a little background. Ava has Angelman Syndrome. You likely know that. You also may know that part of Angelman Syndrome is a cognitive or intellectual disability. Although I am always quick to point out that, without adequate communication, we are not able to measure just how smart she is! But 50 years ago, Ava would have been classified as "mentally retarded." More background: Ava has been called "retarded" by another child before. And one more important piece of information: Ava can hear. Ava can understand. We take the "least dangerous approach" with her. Meaning we assume she understands everything any other typical 4 year old does. Because we honestly do not know.
Those that use the R-Word defend their use by saying that they don't call intellectually disabled people that word. They use it describing situations or as a way to express someone's ignorance. I understand that. I have also been told that I shouldn't be so sensitive to that word, and that they don't consider Ava to be "retarded." I also understand that. Our friends and family, those that know Ava, may not think of her in reference to that word, but many in the world do. And it is important understand that in order to understand my point of view.
My reason for not using the "R-Word", and for not allowing it to be used around my daughter, is a very simple one. If someone uses that word around Ava, regardless of subject matter, it is in a negative context. So Ava hears and associates that word with negativity. It is a bad word, a hateful word, a naughty word. Then she is at the park and another child (who has been taught the word) calls her "retarded" because she is different. And suddenly, my child- my beautiful, smart, funny, loving, happy, sassy, amazing child- associates herself with a word that is negative, bad, hateful, and naughty.
That is why I want to end the word. In all uses. In all contexts.
I know it is a common word. And if Ava isn't around, and it isn't in our home, I don't say anything to people who use it. As my mother constantly reminds me, I am not the world's police and I cannot right the wrongs of everyone. But I certainly do say something- politely but assertively- when Ava is there to hear. The bottom line is that it is about respect. Respect for a girl, and in fact a whole segment of the population, that is full of love, honesty, charity, and hope. A group of people so willing to forgive, a group of people who work harder and struggle more and yet smile more and love more. What is there not to respect?! Do not fear those who are different. Do not judge or make fun. Embrace and love and know that we are ALL made in HIS image.
So I issue you a challenge. The next time you hear yourself saying that word. Or thinking that word. STOP. And picture this sweet girl. And then ask yourself- "is that word really the appropriate word?"
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Campaign to End the R-Word
Today is an action day to end the use of the word "retarded" (and variations thereof) in all contexts. There seems to be two camps on this subject. Those that don't see the harm, and those that do. I fall into the latter camp.
Posted by The Brewers at 12:45 PM


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The Broad Brush: Your News in 60 Seconds
The Broad Brush: Your News in 60 Seconds
Welcome to this week's edition of The Broad Brush, our weekly two-sentence news review. Here's what happened this week.
A state board has declared an impasse in negotiations between Alameda's teachers' union and school district leaders over pay. A state mediator will now be brought in to try to broker a deal between the union and schools administrators, and if that fails, a three-person factfinding body will examine each side's case and make recommendations.
The conversion of Alameda Point is moving along and the city is doing its best to convince employers to move here, Mayor Marie Gilmore said Tuesday night. Gilmore's assessment came during a State of the City address to the City Council and the audience at City Hall and those watching from home.
City leaders said Tuesday they could consider imposing rent controls after an emotional hearing about rent increases that drove an elderly couple and their disabled daughter from their home of 17 years. An attorney for the four-unit home's new owner said the increases were needed to cover the cost of buying the building and fixing it up.
And schools leaders' efforts to boost educational options for Alameda families have hit a space crunch that has set tempers simmering and exposed latent fears about the closure of one school and hurt feelings about what some feel is the persistent mistreatment of the West End. The concerns were aired at a school board workshop on Tuesday that was intended to bring boosters of a new middle school program on the Encinal High School campus into the conversation about moving the Alameda Community Learning Center from that space. Our video feed is here and here.
News in brief(er): Home prices are expected to rise this year … Alameda restaurant Dragon Rouge has turned seven … The city has launched its annual online budget challenge … Park Street's trees will be getting a trim between February 25 and March 1 … and police have asked for the public's help finding a 16-year-old Oakland boy who was seen in Alameda.


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A digital magazine featuring content for the Adventurer Conqueror King System. New articles available every month. Click here to subscribe via Patreon:
All of our products are available at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG in PDF and print-on-demand.
Autarch has created a lens with Domains At War. This finely crafted piece allows you to view mass combat within your game. It is up to you to focus the lens, choosing when to pull back and see the whole of a war campaign and when to zoom into a single battle. The rules of D@W work seamlessly, allowing a group to flow back and forth between both rule sets as the story of the game and their interest demands. If you are looking for a rule set for a d20 game that abstracts mass combat in a fun, simple way, while still providing players influential choices, check out D@W
...not a lot of people are talking about the combination of the fighter damage bonus with the cleave rule. That's a huge deal that makes fighters more the premier class of the game– especially when you take in all the things done to dial back the mages
This book is a great addition to the ACKS system, as well as any OSR game, for much of the material in here could be easily ported to another game of choice. If you are running ACKS, this book will help tailor make the system to your world. If you are on the fence about ACKS, check this book out. Its flexibility and substance just might make you a convert.
The Sinister Stone of Sakkara succeeds in it's goals as an introductory module, and serves as a great example of what today's authors are doing with the concepts introduced some 40 years ago by the original team. For new players, what most folks think of as cornerstones of "old school" play - faction dynamics, multi-path dungeons, resource management & logistics, are all introduced within the two levels of the titular dungeon. Interacting with monstrous or human NPCs in a non-combat function is well rewarded, exploration delivers results, and the "solving" of the dungeon; with secret doors, traps, and treasure extraction all in play, is baked in. ... the whole thing serves as an example of what can be accomplished with Chapter 10 of ACKS. New and experienced Judges will find this example invaluable.
I will also make a note that Domains at War is my favorite RPG purchase since I bought the ACKS books in the first place. On a recent reread I was struck by suddenly realizing the formula for maximum spell damage being dealt to a unit is based on what percentage of the unit the spell's area of effect can cover. I had to stop reading for a few minutes while I admired it.
I think its safe to say that I have never seen a set of rules and guidelines for stronghold and dominion management in any other D&D game (or even any other game remotely similar to D&D) that were this complete. The mechanics in the BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia books pale in comparison. Even Pendragon, which probably has the most detailed rules on manors that I'd seen systematized until now, doesn't really match up. You get complete rules for just what kind of stronghold each class can make, how many followers it will attract, what every little bit of it will cost, how many peasant families you can attract and support, and what kind of revenue you can collect. On top of that you get rules for how to expand your domain, what kind of various expenses are involved on a regular basis, rules and tables for being a vassal of a lord or king, morale rules for your dominion to see if the peasants are revolting, rules for building and running villages, towns and cities, and building and managing markets
This game (Domains At War: Battles) does for mass combat what Steve Jackson did for tactical combat with Melee and Wizard. Even better, the basic system of armor class, hit points, and d20 to-hit rolls will be immediately recognizable to most role-players. It's great that people that could never be convinced to sit down to a game of Commands & Colors or Dragon Rage will play this, but the fact that it provides a context for martial characters with high levels of Wisdom and Charisma to really make a difference totally seals the deal. This is something I've wanted for a long time even if I didn't quite know it and it addresses a wealth of design issues that emerge in many of the older role playing games. This is a very big deal, an achievement on par with the development of playable megadungeons
If you run anything even marginally compatible with B/X, or based on the original through 2nd editions of the paternal game, you can take advantage of this book (Player's Companon). There's dozens of little $1 Labyrinth Lord classes or extended spellbooks spread around RPGNow - this is all of them, and more.
Dwimmermount's sensibilities are very classic Dungeons and Dragons, and it aims to evoke a swords and sorcery world rather than the watered down Tolkien pastiche known as vanilla fantasy.
If the history of wargaming is the Sun, Domains At War: Battles is that point of light you get after focusing what's good about wargaming through the lens of DND. It's quick, flexible, and dead simple to pick up for anyone that's rolled dice with purpose...If you are not running ACKS, or you're not in an ACKS game that's putting any emphasis on domain management, this (Domains At War:Campaigns) still has a lot of use for you - if you ever want your game to feature war as a backdrop, or have the PCs interact within that war, or your players have ever wanted to take a mass of henchmen and mercenaries to a robber knight's keep - and you want that war and those battles to be as simulated as the PCs actions are - if you want it to be gamed and real, you still want this book.
What struck me in the read through is how to use Dwimmermount as an example - a how-to on presenting a themed dungeon or campaign world...It is a font of ideas - not only setting ideas, but presentation and preparatory ideas, not only for someone who would want to create their own dungeon, but for someone just setting up a sandbox environment, and wanting some structure to hang hexes up on...All of this, then, for $10.00; a madly underpriced PDF for what you're getting out of it, especially as compared to other megadungeon products. Take it as it is and you'll enjoy it just as much as if you dismantle it first; either way you're getting real value
The campaign chapter also contains a bunch of amusing rules for magical research – not only can you create your own spells, but you can also cross-breed monsters and turn yourself into a lich! Perhaps the best part, though, is the conceit that wizards can build dungeons somewhere (probably not directly under their tower), wait for monsters to settle inside, and then send adventurers inside to harvest their parts. It sounds tremendously inefficient both for the PC (hoping you get a sufficiently interesting creature!) and the player (dungeons get stocked by making wandering monster roll…after roll…after roll)
Need help or support? Contact Autarch at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Unless otherwise noted, all content ©2011-2020 Autarch LLC. All rights reserved.


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Coachmen RV Catalina Legacy travel trailer 293QBCK highlights:
This Coachmen Catalina Legacy model 293QBCK travel trailer offers spacious living for a larger family. This unit sleeps nine, so now you can comfortably camp with your whole family or even a guest or two. The rear bunkhouse features a set of bunk beds plus an upper bunk. Within the slide out along the roadside you will find a u-dinette and a sofa where you can visit or easily convert these into additional sleeping spots. For a quiet retreat you will enjoy the private front bedroom. Your outdoor living space is maximized with the 18' awning, plus the chef in the family will enjoy the pull out camp kitchen and more!
Are you ready to camp in style and comfort? Well, you will want a Coachmen RV Catalina Legacy travel trailer. Along the exterior there is a one-piece seamless walkable roof, tinted windows which helps to add just the right amount of privacy, radial tires, and two marine grade speakers. Inside each model enjoy the residential in-floor ducted heat, Congoleum woodplank linoleum flooring, and beautiful Grace Cherry stained wood cabinets. A few other key touches throughout include the drop edge Thermofoil countertop, solid bedroom and bunk room doors, pleated night shades in the living room as well as living room speakers. The Legacy Edition Package includes the following items - a remote operated power awning with LED light, skylight above tub/shower, LED interior lighting, stainless steel digital microwave and more! Come begin any camping adventure with a Catalina Legacy Edition!
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Frontline: D.C. schools downplayed cheating allegations
- PBS documentary raises questions about cheating allegations at a D.C. school
- Principal who witnessed alleged event told not to talk about it, federal complaint states
- City Inspector general investigated school and found no reason for a wider probe
A new documentary raises questions about whether Washington, D.C., school officials downplayed allegations that educators were cheating to improve students' scores on high-stakes skills tests — even after a principal came forward with her own eyewitness account.
Washington's Noyes Education Campus was the subject of a 2011 investigative series by USA TODAY, which first reported on unusually high numbers of wrong-to-right pencil erasures on standardized test papers going back to 2008.
The erasures weren't direct evidence of cheating by staff members, but strongly suggested tampering, experts told USA TODAY.
Administered citywide each spring, the math and reading exams gained new prominence in 2007, after then-chancellor Michelle Rhee began tying student scores to principals' and teachers' employment.
The PBS Frontline documentary "The Education of Michelle Rhee," airing Tuesday, offers the first testimony from Adell Cothorne, who in the 2010-11 school year was principal at Noyes. Cothorne tells the filmmakers that she alerted officials on Nov. 3, 2010, to an afterschool incident in which she stumbled upon three staffers sitting in an office with students' completed practice test booklets and pencils.
"I noticed that the erasers were down and the pencil points were up," Cothorne said Monday in an interview. "That really stuck out in my mind."
She immediately reported the incident, but was never contacted by administrators. "I kind of trusted that somebody would follow through on it and it didn't really happen that way," Cothorne said.
Cothorne filed a federal complaint against the district in 2011, alleging that cheating essentially defrauded the U.S. government, since Washington receives millions in federal funds annually for education. That triggered an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which said on Monday that cheating was limited to just one school, which it didn't specify. The department said it couldn't substantiate any false claims and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to intervene.
In the complaint, newly unsealed, Cothorne alleges that shortly after she stumbled upon the staffers erasing test papers, former Noyes principal Wayne Ryan called her to his office and told her, "I heard that you don't respect the legacy that has been built at Noyes." She said Ryan told her, "You're not saying anything" about erasures.
Ryan couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
Cothorne requested extra security for the high-stakes tests the following spring and students scores dropped about 25 percentage points.
In a statement, D.C. Public Schools spokeswoman Melissa Salmanowitz said every report of testing impropriety "is taken very seriously." She noted that Cothorne was interviewed by a private firm as part of a separate investigation of the 2010-11 tests "and there is no mention of this incident in the interview report."
After USA TODAY wrote about Noyes in March 2011, the city's inspector general launched what would become a 17-month investigation that included interviews with Cothorne's entire staff, but not her. "I just figured they didn't want to hear what I had to say," she said. That report focused solely on Noyes and found no reason for a wider probe of Washington schools.
The Frontline documentary includes comments from a USA TODAY reporter who worked on the 2011 investigative series.


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Page 2By Mike Perkowski
Technology: Open Source
To download fact sheet,
Is open source a software product or a philosophy? CIOs don't really care, as long as it soothes their headaches rather than creating new ones.
CIOs have always fanatically sought to simplify their IT architecturesand no more so than in recent years, as companies struggled to align their IT programs with business strategy while putting a premium on stripping away unnecessary costs, complexity and risk. So why in the world would CIOs give a second glance to a new software infrastructure such as Linux, developed by a loose federation of thousands of individual programmers operating outside the womb of a highly structured technology provider?
CIOs and others believe it's simple: Linux has proved its mettle in relatively commoditized but increasingly important uses, such as Web infrastructure and file/print/network services. Now it's moving toward prime-time status for mission-critical applications. For more and more CIOs, the question of whether to deploy Linux has been resolved, thanks to widespread agreement on its reliability, cost efficiency and solid support from a growing list of top vendors. Instead, CIOs are now turning their attention to the nitty-gritty question of how and where the software fits into their IT programs. "Particularly for early adopters who are comfortable with new technologies in general, it has definitely become a strategic asset," says Scott Lundstrom, who heads the technology research practice at AMR Research in Boston.
One company that has moved to an open-source model for its infrastructure requirements is Mobil Travel Guide in Park Ridge, Ill., a division of Exxon Mobil Corp. that publishes guides and other information for travelers. "We weren't necessarily looking for Linux, but when our business partner recommended it and explained the rationale, we realized it was a very good choice for us, because it would keep up with us as our needs increased," says CIO and senior vice president Paul Mercurio. "The technology is so much more mature today than when we made the decision 18 months ago, with companies like IBM Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sun Microsystems Inc. endorsing it and actively supporting it."
Of course, few if any companies see technology products as strategies unto themselves, and Linux is no exception. "Linux is an operating system, not a business strategy," says Scot Klimke, CIO of Network Appliance Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based supplier of network storage systems. "Linux does have some clear benefits, such as helping us meet the business objective of reducing overall IT expense, but Linux is only one vehicle for doing that."
Certainly, Linux has its limitations: Most agree that its performance still doesn't scale particularly well, especially compared to Unix, its chief competitor for large-scale infrastructure needs. And, of course, there's the reality of Linux's relative dearth of enterprise business applications, compared with Windows.
But those concerns are diminishing. At Rochester, N.Y.-based Harris Interactive Inc., a market research and consulting services firm, CIO Peter Milla says that while Linux isn't yet occupying a strategic place in his IT plan, its benefit is clear: significant cost savings over the Unix-based architecture he was using for data-tabulation applications. "It was a real no-brainer for us," he says. "It's a $20,000 investment in a tier-one [Compaq] box, which allowed us to increase our throughput and avoid a $100,000 investment in an H-P Unix box. Like most companies, we have a lot of Intel-based expertise on staff, and this lets us leverage that."
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When it comes to security and scalability, technology really does matter.
Open-source products, such as Linux, MySQL, the Apache Web server and the Perl programming language, have long spawned passionate debates about their various technological pros and cons compared with their counterparts in Windows, Unix and proprietary software environments. But for CIOs, the inevitable weighing of technology advantages today centers primarily on two issues: security and scalability.
Unquestionably, commercial Linux software has yet to suffer the same crippling impact of worms, viruses and denial-of-service attacks endured by the Windows camp; there have yet to be high-profile equivalents of viruses like Blaster and SoBig in the Linux world. But is that because Linux is, by virtue of its code or the open-source development process, inherently more secure than other operating systems? Or is it simply because Linux's smaller market share makes it a less inviting target for attacks?
AMR's Lundstrom (who also doubles as his firm's chief technology officer) believes that Linux's security edge is based in its technology. "Yes, it's true that Linux is not a status symbol for hackers, but the truth is that the software is designed differently," he points out. "It's modular by design, and knowledgeable people can segment it to support only the features they need, such as instant messaging."
But while the source of Linux's supposed security advantage over other operating systems continues to be a subject of debate, there's been little doubt about the historic scalability limitations of Linux. Most agree that Linux's strength has been in low-end Intel-based server environments, often topping out at 4- or 8-processor server configurations used for Web servers and simple file/print servers. That has limited the software's appeal to tactical situations, rather than the mission-critical data-center requirements needed to support up to 64-processor servers used for number-crunching applications such as energy exploration or sophisticated financial modeling.
However, the tide is turning there, too. The new version of the Linux kernel, called 2.6, promises support for 16-way servers, and high-end server maker Silicon Graphics Inc. earlier this year unveiled 64-way Linux support on its new servers.
"Scale used to be an issue of concern, but that's no longer the case," says Bill Claybrook, an analyst at the Aberdeen Group in Boston. "SGI has 64-way Itanium running Linux, and IBM and H-P both are running not only 8-way versions, but often 16-way. How many applications out there really need to go beyond 16-way today?"
Rob Meyer, director of Internet services at Anaconda Sports Inc., a Lake Katrine, N.Y.-based wholesaler and retailer of sporting goods, says he went with a Linux system recommended by his local reseller because he was confident it would grow with his needs. "We were looking for a better, more robust back-end system for database integration than the Windows system we had," he says. "Linux allowed us to scale our back-end system to 4 terabytes, compared with the previous 2-gigabyte Windows system we had."
Another technology issue to consider: How diverse is your architecture? CIOs and analysts agree that IT organizations used to heterogeneous environments will have a much easier time with Linux than those based primarily on a single platform. That's because CIOs in multiplatform environments already have wrestled with key issues such as connectivity, application integration and multivendor security. "If you're principally or overwhelmingly a Windows shop, it will be a more difficult transition for you," Lundstrom says. "If you're already a diverse organization, with things like Unix, Lotus Notes and terminal emulation, you can make the transition to Linux a lot easier."
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When all else is stripped away, a CIO's decision often centers on confidence. And that confidence is derived largely from a feeling that high-quality technical support will be there from top-shelf providers.
For years, many CIOs have held back from embracing Linux because they were concerned about who would provide the necessary support for the software. After all, IBM was the only major hardware vendor enthusiastically embracing Linux with a substantial support mechanism, while most major independent software vendors had moved only haltingly into the Linux camp. And resellers and systems integrators hadn't yet built up a critical mass of support tools and methodologies for business applications.
Today, however, most agree that's changed. All major hardware vendors are offering industrial-strength support for enterprise customers, and an increasing number of leading software publishers have done the same.
Network Appliance's Klimke, although hesitant about Linux's fit for his organization today, believes the support issue is moving in the right direction. "CIOs prefer a standard-supported, engineered commercial product that has a future and will be accountable," he says. "I am comfortable that Linux itself is close to that by virtue of its embrace by major systems vendors."
Corporate customers also point out that value-added resellers and systems integrators have developed real-life success stories in not only implementing, but actually supporting Linux for important business applications. "Since we'd never had Linux inside our organization before, we wanted to be fully sure that our partner [IBM] would be able to provide the hands-on support we'd need," says Meyer of Anaconda Sports. "We wanted to know that they'd actually worked with other companies with environments similar to ours, so that they knew how to support us on an ongoing basis."
Jay Bahel, CIO of Brunswick New Technologies, a division of Lake Forest, Ill.-based Brunswick Corp., a manufacturer of marine navigation systems and engine control systems, stressed the importance of knowing the support capabilities of open-source software suppliers. "You absolutely must make sure you're not getting something from hackers in China, but from guys with a real P&L model and the financial resources to support you," he says. "We use it to run mission-critical applications, and we would not do it unless we could get high-quality support. You must be able to bet the bank on the support."
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Is the Linux developer community dominated by wild-eyed dreamers, zealots and technology socialists? Or is it a highly democratized force of expert coders?
Plenty of IT organizations have pondered whether the supposed benefit of the open-source developer community was all it was cracked up to be. Was the advantage of leveraging the collective contributions of passionate programmers, benevolently overseen by the now-iconic Linus Torvalds, worth the anxiety of working with a largely unstructured group of developers?
"When I think of the Linux developer community, the pro is their enthusiasm and support for each other," says Mary Scavarda, CIO of Argonaut Insurance Co. in Menlo Park, Calif., which is evaluating migrating from Unix to Linux. "The flip side is that it seems unstructuredless than professional."
That image of the open-source community as a ragtag group of freelancing programmers with wildly divergent motivations is beginning to melt away, however. And with that change comes more confidence in the quality of both open-source code itself and the support provided by key hardware and software vendors. "The makeup of the community used to be a concern for an enterprise buyer, especially for the CEO even more than the CIO," according to Aberdeen's Claybrook. "But if you look at who's part of the open-source developer community today, it's increasingly made up of people who work at large commercial organizations like Red Hat Inc. and IBM. It's no longer this loosey-goosey group of rogue developers; they're elite programmers who really want to do this, rather than being assigned to it."
That means that when a new feature, such as messaging or network monitoring, is approved and added to the kernel, corporate IT developers can make use of and even enhance those added features. Of course, the downside of this "community of coders" is that when new code is returned to the community, it hasn't been tested for howor ifit will run with another company's core applications. That means CIOs need to make sure their development teams are doing compatibility and security testing of the new code.
It's also important to remember that, while Linux may be free of licensing costs, there still are important legal requirements to consider. The "rules of the road" for working with the Linux community's code are set down in the General Public License, which companies have to sign if they want to use the Linux source code for development. The GPL does not restrict selling or redistributing Linux-based software; however, it does require that source-code modifications be returned to the open-source community as full source code. CIOs should advise their development teams to be careful not to inadvertently return proprietary applications code to the communityonly modifications to the source code.
When push comes to shove, the central issue concerning the open-source development community has less to do with how the community operates than it does with letting the CIO sleep easier at night. Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL AB, the Swedish developer of the popular MySQL open-source database, admits there's a lot of "romance" surrounding the supposedly non-commercial motivation of the open-source developer world. "But the CIO doesn't give a damn about all that altruistic stuff," says Mickos. "He wants to know it will work, that it will save him money and that it will be supported for at least 10 to 20 years."
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Strategic Profile Sabre Holdings
Strategic Profile Sabre Holdings Corp.
Sabre Holdings Corp., based in Southlake, Texas, is a $2.1 billion holding company with four technology-based travel business units: the Travelocity online travel site; the Sabre Travel Network, which operates the Sabre reservations system for travel agents, suppliers and travelers; GetThere, a Web-based corporate travel service; and Sabre Airline Solutions, which provides software and consulting services to airlines.
Mike Perkowski has followed the IT industry as a reporter, editor, publisher and marketing consultant for the past 25 years.To download fact sheet,


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BAKER COUNTY, Fla. – The father of a 14-year-old girl killed in a crash last Saturday says he's determined to do what she would have wanted him to -- carry on, spread hope and forgive the teen who was driving the pickup truck she was in.
"Jordan (Sommise) was just a very bubbly young lady that met no strangers whatsoever," said Duane Sommise, Jordan's father. "She could talk to somebody immediately and you would think you were her friend for 100 years."
Sommise said he has nothing but the fondest of memories of his daughter.
"God needed an angel that -- Jordan was a country-talking lady and would talk your ears off, and I think God's thinking right now, 'Why did he take this one?' Because they have not stopped chatting since she's been up there," Sommise said.
Saturday night, a crash took Jordan's life, but her legacy remains.
"She's touched everyone's lives from here," her father said. "I've gotten emails from people in Virginia where she's met people over three years ago in youth camps. They have gotten in touch with us and said what an inspiration she was to them."
Jordan lived for going to church and was active in her youth group.
"She was very involved in Normandy Park Baptist Church in the youth group," Sommise said. "I was talking to the youth pastor earlier and he made comments that Jordan was their inspiration to come to youth group every Sunday morning. She would call people and text them and send them Facebook messages to get them to come to church and meet her there."
When asked if he was upset at 17-year-old Austin Kight, who was driving the pickup truck in the crash, Sommise referred to a message he wrote on Facebook.
"I wrote on In Memory of Jordan Sommise's wall. I said, 'Gage Kight and his family will be attending both services at my request. I have spoke with the young man and this was a tragic accident that could have been avoided and I have hurt in my heart but no hate for this family. We have all done things that could have been tragic but were lucky not to cause this much hurt.'"
Corey Craig, 17, who was also in the truck, was paralyzed from the waist down.
There will be a community fundraiser to assist with Craig's medical bills and funeral expenses for the family of Sommise at 1 p.m. Dec. 15 at Shoals Park in Glen St. Mary.
A benefit account has been opened at First Federal Bank of Florida in the names of Jordan Sommise and Corey Craig.
A viewing for Sommise will be held Friday from 5-8 p.m. at Fraser Funeral Home on Normandy Boulevard in Jacksonville Her funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Submitted by the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce
The Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce will recognize 10 area individuals and businesses at its annual Chamber Awards Gala, Friday, May 17, at the Niagara Falls Country Club in Lewiston.
In addition to the tributes, the annual event will feature an evening of live music, a silent auction, table wines donated by local wineries and businesses, and hors d'oeuvres followed by a sit-down dinner.
2013 Ransomville Business of the Year
The Ransomville Business & Professional Association has chosen Fillmore Chapel United Methodist Church as the 2013 Ransomville Business of the Year award recipient. The church has been a steward of the community and helped make the 25th Ransomville Lighting of the Wreaths event a huge success. For the second year in a row, a church has received this award, showing that community spirit and a dedication to making Ransomville a better place to live and work is strong.
Located at 2523 Youngstown-Wilson Road at the intersection with Ransomville Road, Fillmore Chapel has served the community long before the 1852 structure was built. The original furnishings of the congregation are still in the church, including the pulpit and pews that connect worshippers with a long history of sharing God's love in the community. At the same time, modern technology, including a sound and projection system, invites those gathered to experience the presence of God through music and visual imagery.
Pastor Anne Cole has led the church for the past three years. She is the first female pastor at the church and has helped motivate the congregation to take a more active role in the community and work collaboratively with other organizations and churches.
Worship service is held on Sundays at 11 a.m., with Sunday school for the children at 11:15. Children participate in the first part of the service and then attend their own program, which includes a puppet ministry.
Jeanette Brooks has been the organist/pianist for many years and provides the music each Sunday. Oftentimes, there are others who provide special music, including groups from other local churches.
Fillmore Chapel also holds a worship service at the Ransomville Manor the first and third Sundays of each month at 9:30 a.m.
Thursday night Bible study is held at the church each week at 7 p.m. During the summer, the Vacation Bible School program is popular with children from all over the community. VBS will be held this year Aug. 19-22 from 6 to 8 p.m. each day. The VBS program is a collaborative effort, with three other United Methodist churches in the area.
Service to Community
The focus within Fillmore Chapel's congregation has been one of service. Members from the adult group at the church volunteer with the Care-n-Share Food Pantry in Ransomville as well as the WNY Food Bank. The congregation supports the Heart, Love and Soul food pantry in Niagara Falls with financial gifts and donations of food. Both Pastor Anne and congregation member Claudia Fleckenstein serve on the board of directors for the food pantry.
Other local community efforts included the painting of "Grandma Carter's Fruit Stand" at the Ransomville historical room, raking leaves and church members performing other tasks for those who can't in and around the Ransomville hamlet, as well as revitalizing the Lighting of the Wreaths program. The congregation also actively participates in Ransomville's Community Faire.
As noted, 2012 marked the 25th year for the Lighting of the Wreaths in Ransomville. Members of the congregation took it upon themselves to organize and provide leadership, as they solicited help from community members and businesses to ensure that the 25th year was a success. It was a big undertaking for the group, but there was a lot of help from members who took the lead on several aspects of the event. In fact there was so much enthusiasm and great ideas, that everything just came together.
Meetings for the 2013 event have already taken place at the church, using the positive feedback received, with a goal to make each year better than the last and encouraging greater participation from the community.
Goals for the church include continuing the ministry and programs that started recently, and continuing to share God's love with the congregation's neighbors in ways that make a difference in Ransomville and the surrounding community. Fillmore Chapel is a dynamic congregation that loves Jesus passionately and desires to share his love with others. Many in the congregation also attend training courses to offer new activities and programs that might fit a need in the community.
Fillmore Chapel is collaborating with other churches to implement "Grief Share," a new program designed to help others get through tough times. The church's website is being used as a tool to help get more information out. Expanding the digital footprint is in the plans, with more photos and video, aiming to keep the communication open and up to date.
For more information on Fillmore Chapel, call 716-791-3815, visit http://www.FillmoreChapel.org, or stop by on Thursday at 7 p.m. for Bible study or a Sunday service at 11 a.m.
The Ransomville Business & Professional Association and the Niagara River Region Chamber of Commerce proudly congratulate Fillmore Chapel United Methodist Church as the 2013 Ransomville Business of the Year.


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Hey I didnt mean to phrase the going wrong part like I thought your opinion was wrong. I dont think that came across properly. I just meant you seemed to be contradicting yourself a little bit on that portion.
I apologize Can. I think i got your thread the plane crash derailed.
Just when I think it's pretty good, I then think it's not very original. Need to shake off the cobwebs and see if it's got a future.
Good advice from you...thanks!
Your welcome . Finish that book , its never to late 🖒
Hey OC! Thanks for the kind words, but no, not a professional writer. But I did a lot of writing as part of my business career, so I had a lot of practice shall we say. Started a book, but never finished it!!
Appreciate the acknowledgement!
Hey Can are you a writer by profession? Was wondering because you really write well . Just curious , not meaning to pry. Have a good day sir.
Hey man! Its been a long time since we have had long conversation back and forth. I hope life is treating you great these days. Cheers!
No avatar and I cant PM you!?!? You alright bud?
I just signed your crack!
Congratulations on your BCMB Awards, Can! That presidential thing is gonna' be quite the coup, if you pull that one off.
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The Credit Union Advisory Council was created by an act of the New Jersey State Legislature. The purpose, definition, and powers of the Credit Union Advisory Council are detailed in the statute which created the council (17:13-124).
The Council was created to consult with, advise, and make recommendations to the commissioner of the Department of Banking & Insurance on matters pertaining to the chartering, operations, and supervision of credit unions. The Council establishes its own procedures and practices with regular meetings held at times and places determined by the chairman, the commissioner, or a majority of the council members. Council expenses are borne by the credit unions.
The Credit Union Advisory Council is comprised of seven persons, appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the New Jersey Senate. Appointees must be a member of a credit union. Four of the five members must have a minimum of three years' experience as a credit union officer, director, or other management level position. At least four members of the council must be members of State chartered credit unions and a minimum of two members must be from federally chartered credit unions.
Appointments are for a term of five years. Members serve without compensation and Council expenses are borne by the credit unions.
Council members are Chairman John C. Gibardi (First Jersey CU), Andrew Jaeger (Credit Union of New Jersey), Bonnie C. Karczewski (NJ Law & Public Safety CU), Paul Camella (Pinnacle FCU), Jim Miller, Jr. (Liberty Savings FCU) and Thomas Quigley (XCEL FCU).
The New Jersey Credit Union Advisory Council meets quarterly. Meetings are usually held in March, June, September and December at the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance located at 20 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey. While meetings are not subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, the public is invited to attend and may address the Council at its discretion. The official meeting schedule is available on the New Jersey Department of Banking & Insurance Web site.


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Eva Jacqueline Longoria (born March 15, 1975) is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Longoria received a nomination for the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on Desperate Housewives.
Longoria first became famous on television in the soap opera The Young and the Restless. She became nationally recognized in the 2000s after appearing in several high-profile advertising campaigns and numerous men's magazines, reaching #14 in the FHM "Sexiest Women 2008" poll, and having appeared on the cover of various international women's magazines including Vogue, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar.
Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, the daughter of Tejano parents, Enrique Longoria, Jr. and Ella Eva Mireles. She was raised Roman Catholic. Longoria is the youngest of four daughters, her sisters being Elizabeth Judina, Emily Jeannette and Esmeralda Josephina. The Longoria family has resided in Texas since before the creation of the United States, predating the English-speaking settlers.


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The premiere of BET's "Real Husbands of Hollywood" is off to a hilarious start!
With Kevin Hart as the lead character of a group of men which includes Nelly, Boris Kodjoe, Robin Thicke, Duane Martin, Nick Cannon, and J.B. Smoove, RHOH is shaping up to be the funniest reality show that we've seen in a very long time — or as Hart says "the first un-reality show."
In the first episode, we learn that Kevin has a crush on Nicole Ari Parker (Boris' wife), Tisha Campbell-Martin (Duane's wife) and Paula Patton (Robin's wife). Robin is introduced to the group as a friend of Nelly's, and the only reason that he is allowed into Kevin's home is because he was dropped off by Paula — who Kevin doesn't realize is his wife.
There is fighting (hilarious fighting, not Real Housewives of Everywhere fighting), jokes for days and if the clip for next week is any indication, which features Shaq and rapper Common, we can expect lots of celebrity cameos.
RHOH began as a spoof that aired during the broadcast of the 2011 BET Awards mocking the over the top antics often seen on reality television shows. Now it is poised to transform comedy, according to Hart:
We're mocking what everybody makes fun of on a regular basis. It's ridiculous. They're fighting. They're going back and forth. We're putting a group of men together that are talented enough and aren't afraid to make fun of themselves. We're catty. We're not getting along. We're getting along. We're friends. We're not friends, but we're doing it in a fun way. It's unique. It hasn't been done, which means it will be big.
"It's good, it's original, it's something different and it's fresh for BET," Hart told MTV News of the mockumentary-style show, which debuts on Tuesday night (January 15). "I can't even say that it's a comparison because it's so different. Our job is to make fun of the 'Basketball Wives of L.A.,' 'The Real Housewives of Orange County.' You're seeing a bunch of fake drama. It's all drama between a bunch of men who act like women."
'Real Husbands of Hollywood' airs on Monday at 10P/9C.
'Real Husbands Of Hollywood' Premieres To Rave Reviews [VIDEO] was originally published on newsone.com


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The legendary Eat That Frog! (more than 450,000 copies sold and translated into 23 languages) provides the 21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more. This new edition is revised and updated throughout, and includes brand new information on how to keep technology from dominating our time.Tracy, Brian is the author of 'Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating And Get More Done in Less Time', published 2007 under ISBN 9781576754221 and ISBN 1576754227.[read more]
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DEL DUCA: Economic Dignity Charter would benefit Ontario workers
My grandfather Alfonso arrived in Canada from Italy in 1951 and his first series of jobs were not easy. He mostly toiled as a construction labourer and spent much of his time underground on various sewer projects.
In 1954, he was badly injured while at work, when the dirt walls that he was surrounded by collapsed. He broke his hip and several ribs, and though he eventually healed, the damage done endured and he walked with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life.
His boss at the time offered him a job as a handyman at the company's construction yard, so he was able to earn a decent living in a more safe environment, and support himself and his family.
He was lucky. But far too many others in that era were not so fortunate and economic security should never be for the lucky few.
Today, by comparison, we have much better workplace safety laws and that's a very good thing.
But for too many of our friends and neighbours, economic dignity remains out of reach as increasing numbers of workers face a different kind of precariousness.
Our economy has changed and the world of work is no longer what it was. Our economic and social safety net has not adequately kept up with the disruption brought about by automation, contract and involuntary part-time work.
At the same time, more and more employers search in vain for a workforce that can appropriately fill the jobs that are available in industries and sectors that are thriving.
If we want lasting and broadly-shared economic prosperity in Ontario, we have to address both of these challenges. And we have to move beyond simplistic slogans and political platitudes. We need real solutions that will truly deliver progress.
That's why I'm proposing an Economic Dignity Charter for Ontario — a bold action plan that will bring business, labour and government to the table to hammer out how best to achieve tangible results and not simply more rhetoric.
The fundamental elements of this path forward will include a revamping of how we train and retrain our people so that lifelong skills development is better aligned to existing and emerging job opportunities. Our province's talent pool is our single-greatest competitive advantage but we can and must do better to fix the skills mismatch that currently hinders our economic growth.
In addition, the time has come for a government-facilitated basic benefits package for all Ontario workers who do not currently have one. This new approach needs to be portable, and it must also cover the self-employed, contract workers and those employed by small businesses. The package would address issues such as parental leave, pension and life insurance, health and dental support, and it would be tied to the worker rather than the employer therefore ensuring continuity of coverage. Financial incentives and support could also be made available to make it easier for small business owners to participate fully.
I believe that we also need to embrace the notion that an honest day's work deserves an honest and fair day's pay. Ontario should have a $15/hour minimum wage and future increases should be tied to the rate of inflation and other economic indicators, which would provide employers and employees with predictability.
More than anything else, I want to build an economy in which both entrepreneurs and workers can truly thrive. This is the best way for us to deliver on the kind of opportunity that will enable all Ontarians to go as far in life as their talent, effort and dedication will take them.
— Steven Del Duca is a former Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Growth. He is currently seeking the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.